I'll Never Let Them Hurt You
by Outsiders Obsessor
Summary: ' "I'll never let them hurt you, Mheetu," Nala promises, making her younger brother smile and his light blue eyes light up in trust.' Ever since Scar ascended the throne, life in the Pride Lands has been difficult and tragic. When Mheetu is born, new light is put into Nala's life. This is the story of Nala and her little brother, Mheetu and how they had each other's backs.


**I'll Never Let Them Hurt You**

 **Disclaimer:** I only own my OC of Jelani, my version of Nala's father.

Laughter echoes off the walls of the cave, projecting the carefree noise onto the otherwise dreary savannah. Four cubs, each one about three months old, are playing here. A fifth, smaller than the rest, sits and watches his friends play _Hunters and Prey._

"Chumvi! You're supposed to be a zebra, not a hunter!" a pale cream lion cub with blue eyes tells her friend in annoyance.

"Sorry, Nala," Chumvi apologizes, not knowing why the young lioness is _always_ a hunter.

"Wipe that smug look off your face, Tojo," Kula says, glancing in the direction of the golden male cub.

"I can't help it. You girls are going to be awful hunters when you grow up," Tojo laughs, his blue eyes sparkling.

Tama crouches down behind him, slowly getting closer and closer to her unsuspecting friend. Her pelt starts to blend in with the rock, and soon, Tama is within striking distance. She bunches the muscles in her hind legs before pouncing, knocking Tojo off of the rock he is sitting on.

"Tama!" Tojo whines, struggling to push her off.

"What was it you said about our hunting?" she brags, looking down at Tojo in triumph.

"Way to teach him a lesson, Tama," Chumvi speaks up from across the cave as he wrestles with Kula, his twin sister.

"You're next, Chumvi," Nala laughs as she pounces on his back.

"Hey, no fair! I wasn't ready!"

"You _never_ are," Kula teases before joining Nala and Tama in teaching the boys a lesson.

"Cubs, it's time for dinner. Hurry now," Sarabi speaks up as she walks in the cave with Sarafina at her side.

During Scar's reign, cubs and lionesses have to eat fast in order to get their fill before Scar and the hyenas find out about the kill. This has been going on for about two months now, right after the stampede claimed Simba and Mufasa. All five cubs follow after the two lionesses, eager to get to the carcass before Scar and his minions do. Tama and Chumvi begin to wrestle, a growl exiting their lips every now and again.

"Shh, guys! We have to be quiet until after we've eaten," Nala reminds through a soft, but harsh, whisper.

"Nala's absolutely right. Now, come on. The carcass isn't far," Sarafina softly tells the cubs, gently nudging Nala and Tojo with her nose.

Sarabi keeps a watch over Chumvi, Tama, and Kula as the cubs start to slow their pace a little. She's glad that the five little ones will be able to eat tonight and not have to go hungry.

"Thank you, Great Kings of the Past, for keeping these cubs well-fed and healthy in these times of famine," Sarabi whispers to the sky, tears collecting in her amber eyes as she thinks of Simba and Mufasa.

Later that night, the mothers of the five cubs get the cubs ready for bed. As usual, Sarabi helps out her friends and fellow pride members by making sure one cub is clean and is sleeping soundly. Tonight, Sarabi is in charge of Kula, so she gently runs her tongue over the cub's dark brown pelt to clean her. Kula, unlike Chumvi, doesn't mind getting a bath, so she relaxes in Sarabi's paws. The other four cubs are being bathed by their mothers in similar fashions, with only Chumvi showing any resistance.

"Everyone, I have some pretty good news," Sarafina smiles as she finishes Nala's bath with a quick and loving lick on the head.

All the other lionesses and cubs in the den stop what they are doing to listen to the cream-colored lioness' news.

"What do you have to tell us, Sarafina?" Sarabi inquires, hope sparkling in her eyes.

Good news has been all too rare since Scar ascended the throne. It is always welcome, but it is hardly ever present. Now is the perfect time for some.

"Nala, you are going to be a big sister," Sarafina reveals, which sends the lionesses and cubs into an excited frenzy.

"I'm going to be a big sister!" Nala happily cheers, embracing her mommy and licking her cheeks.

"Congratulations, Sarafina. I'm so happy for you," Sarabi excitedly tells her best friend, moving to rub heads with the expectant mother.

"Cool! A new playmate!" Kula expresses her thoughts aloud.

"I hope it's a girl," Tama says to whoever is listening.

"No way! A boy would be better," Chumvi argues.

"I wonder when the cub will come," Tojo whispers to his mother with a smile.

The other lionesses offer Sarafina their congratulations and wishes before settling the cubs down for the night. Nala sleeps with her paw on her mother's slightly rounded tummy, hoping to feel her brother or sister move.

A few months later, a cub is born. Sarafina has secluded herself from the rest of the pride in a remote den where her newest cub can enter the world. Sarabi comes in with her friend and helps to ensure both mother and cub's safety. Now the tan-colored lioness walks outside to bring Nala to see her mother and newborn sibling.

"Nala, your mother has had the cub," Sarabi smiles at the cream-colored cub who is now almost seven months old.

"Yay! Is it a boy or a girl?" Nala excitedly asks, bouncing up and down on her paws.

"I'm not supposed to tell you. That's for your mom to reveal. Follow me," the ex-Queen of the Pride Lands softly says before heading for Sarafina's maternity den.

Nala bounds after the older lioness, wanting to meet her brother or sister and see her mother. Her heart pounds excitedly in her chest as she pictures her newborn brother or sister. Nala smiles, an all too rare sight these days, as walks into the den her mother is in.

"Mommy!" Nala happily shouts, screeching to a halt beside her mother.

"Nala, my love. I missed you, sweetheart," Sarafina smiles, nuzzling her daughter in a loving way.

"Is my new sister or brother here?" Nala inquires, her blue eyes shining bright.

"Yes, Nala. Meet your new little brother," Sarafina reveals to her only daughter, a wide, proud grin on her face.

Nala softly pads closer to her mother's front paws to stare at the cub nestled there in an entranced daze. Her blue eyes light up in joy as she looks at her baby brother. A pale white cub yawns from the safety of his mother's paws. Spots cover much of the young lion's body, something all cubs have at the start of his or her life.

"What's his name, Mama?" Nala inquires, placing her small paws on Sarafina's larger ones.

"I think I'll name him Mheetu," Sarafina reveals to her daughter before nuzzling both of her cubs.

"He looks just like Jelani, Sarafina," Sarabi smiles, coming over to her best friend.

Sarafina has a single tear slip from her eye as she thinks of her mate and the father of both of her cubs. Jelani, the only lion Sarafina could ever love, was a strong white lion with a light brown mane and piercing green eyes. About two weeks before Mufasa's death, Jelani and Sarafina found out they were expecting their second cub. That's when everything fell to pieces. Mufasa and Jelani were out one day performing border patrol on the northern border when it happened. Hyenas attacked the two strong males, wounding Mufasa and killing Jelani in the process. Sarafina and Nala had barely gotten to Jelani before he took his last breath. Sarafina still remembers her mate's last words to her.

 _"_ _Sarafina, my love, take good care of our cubs. Though I'll never see our second little one, I know that he or she will grow up in a very loving environment. Promise me one thing, Sarafina."_

 _"_ _Anything you ask, Jelani. Anything for you."_

 _"_ _If we have a son, please name him Mheetu. I'll never be that far away from you, Sara. I'll be in your thoughts and dreams, as will I be in Nala's. Though you may not see me, I'll be there. Mufasa will take care of the three of you. Goodbye, my dear. Stay strong."_

 _"_ _Jelani! Jelani, no don't leave me! Jelani…. I love you."_

Nala's voice snaps Sarafina out of her flashback.

"Mommy, do you think Daddy and the Great Kings are watching over Mheetu as he sleeps?" Nala asks in an innocent voice, curling up close to her mother's side.

"I'm sure they are, Nala, my love. I'm sure they are. Daddy is very proud of both of you; I know it. You're our beautiful babies," Sarafina smiles at her daughter, her blue eyes filled with both love and tears.

Her daughter would have made a wonderful queen if Simba was still alive. Nala and Simba would have ruled side by side as fair and just leaders, just like Mufasa and Sarabi, if only the stampede had not taken both the young prince and his father from the Pride Lands. Suddenly, Sarafina looks down and sees a sight that makes her heart melt. Nala has gathered Mheetu between her small paws and is gently licking the top of his white head.

"Mheetu, my baby brother, I will look out for you as long as I live. I'll never let anything hurt you; I promise," Nala whispers to the young male cub.

Mheetu just lets out a mewl, as he can't see or hear yet. His eyes and ears would open in about eight days. Nala curls around Mheetu, her paws wrapped around her baby brother, vowing to protect him with her life. Sarafina just smiles at both of her cubs before taking them both into her paws and snuggling them close to her chest, in the near vicinity of her heart. Both Nala and Mheetu are calmed by the sound of their mother's heart and fall asleep feeling safe and sound.

Mheetu is now six weeks old. Sarafina feels as if it is safe enough to leave Nala in charge of him while she is out hunting with Sarabi and the other lionesses. Nala at this time is eight and a half months old, meaning she is starting to grow into adolescence. Her limbs have become longer, her body has gotten sleeker and lost all of the extra fat associated with young cubs. Nala's hunting skills have improved ten-fold, as she's been receiving lessons from her mother and Sarabi when Mheetu is being looked after by Kula and Chumvi's mother.

"Stay close, Mheetu," Nala whispers to her younger brother, watching as he tumbles over the cracked ground as he chases a beetle.

At this age, anything seems to fascinate the young male cub, as he wants to chase after anything, be it a bug or one of Nala's friends' tails. Malka and Chumvi are generally Mheetu's favorite targets, as their tails move back and forth the fastest when they are lying down or playing games with the other cubs.

"I will, Nala!" Mheetu assures, returning to his game of _Stalk the Bug_ as he creeps across the barren landscape on his stomach.

Nala laughs a little at her brother's technique, watching as he pounces onto the beetle, only to have it escape from under his paws. Pretty soon, Mheetu's solid white coat from the hair tuft on his head all the way down to his paws is covered in dirt. Nala knows that their mother would give Mheetu a rather long bath tonight to get all the dirt and dust off of him. Amid all the tragedy and horror in the current Pride Lands, Nala still manages to have a good time when she can. Mheetu is a source of great entertainment and fun at all times, always ready for a game. However, she must constantly keep a close eye on her younger brother, because he's bound to run off. He almost reminds her of Simba and herself at that age.

"Hey, Mheetu. Do you wanna play _Hunters and Prey?_ You can be the hunter this time," Nala smiles at him, playfulness expressed in her light blue eyes.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes! You better start running, Nala! I'm coming!" Mheetu smiles with a playful growl exiting his lips.

Nala turns on her heel and starts running in the opposite direction, hearing Mheetu's distinct paw-steps behind her. Both siblings laugh as they chase each other across what once was lush savannah grass. Nothing could be better than this moment, of this Nala is sure.

Not too long later, a distinct and deadly sound reaches Nala's ears.

"Mheetu, hide," she commands her brother, fear shining in her eyes.

"But, Nala, I don't wanna play hide and seek," Mheetu tells his older sister, a small pout on his face.

He was having fun playing _Hunters and Prey._ He was almost about to win, too!

"That wasn't an option, it was a command. _HIDE, NOW_!" Nala all but yells at Mheetu, wanting to get the point across to him.

Mheetu understands the severity of his sister's command now and heads for a rock formation near where he is standing. Nala follows behind him and puts herself in front of her brother, her Mheetu. After all, she had made a promise to both him and her father before and after Mheetu was born.

Hyenas. Hyenas. More and more hyenas. A group of about fifteen hyenas, maybe even more, make their way beside Nala and Mheetu, right over to the place where Nala and Mheetu had just been playing. No doubt on a mission for Scar, the ruthless beasts lick their lips and let out their most frightening laughs, wanting to lure out any hiding cubs in the area. Scar has here recently become obsessed with trying to eliminate all of his male rivals, in this case, meaning Chumvi, Tojo, Malka, and even young Mheetu. As the hyenas continue making their terrifying noises, Mheetu tenses up and starts to gasp. Nala quickly covers his mouth with her paw before moving to whisper in his ear.

"I'll never let them hurt you, Mheetu," she promises, making her younger brother smile and his light blue eyes light up in trust.

Nala then wraps Mheetu in a hug, a silent way of promising him that everything would be alright. That she would always be there for him.

About a year passes by faster than anyone could have ever predicted. Nala is now twenty months old, a mature young lioness that everyone in the pride is proud of. Mheetu is now thirteen, almost fourteen months old, and he has the starting of a light brown mane on his chest and the top of his head. Sarafina could not be happier at how her son and daughter are growing up. Nala has mastered hunting and now can bring home more prey than even some of the grown lionesses. As for Mheetu, he's learned anything that Tojo, Chumvi, or Malka would teach him, which primarily is fighting skills and how to be a king. After all, Malka is the prince of his pride; one day he will be king, just like Simba would have been. Everything seems to be going all right for the damaged and scarred pride as all of the six cubs, seven if you count Malka, have made it past their first birthdays. That's when disaster strikes.

"No, Mother, this can't be true!" Nala cries as Sarafina tells her Scar's newest proclamation.

"I'm afraid it is, Nala. We have to get him ready to go," Sarafina sighs as tears spill out of her blue eyes as well.

"Sarabi, isn't there anything we can do?" Nala asks the older lioness.

The once Queen of the Pride Lands shakes her head in disappointment, dreading this day as much as Nala and Sarafina do.

"I'm sorry, Nala, but there isn't. If Mufasa was still King of Pride Rock, or even if Simba had taken his place, none of this would happen. But with Scar as King….." Sarabi starts off, looking like she will burst into tears herself. "Nala, we have to let them go. It's the only way to know they're safe," the tan lioness continues.

That sets Nala's tears off again. The tears bombard her beautiful cream fur, staining under her eyes as she cries.

"It's not fair! Mheetu never did anything!" she shouts before flinging herself out of the den, looking for her younger brother.

She needs to talk to him one last time before he leaves. He may be gone forever, of this Nala is not sure.

"Mheetu! Mheetu, where are you?" Nala calls out, scanning the gray landscape for her brother.

"I'm right here, Nala," Mheetu announces, walking up towards his sister, tears in his light blue eyes as well.

"Mheetu, I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do," Nala whispers to him, pulling Mheetu into a hug.

She rests her head on Mheetu's back, tears falling from her eyes onto her brother's white fur. Mheetu has tears of his own, not understanding why King Scar would do this. He and the others weren't a threat to the kingdom! They were just trying to live their lives the best they could in the barren landscape. They were just trying to survive…

"Nala, you've done everything you could for me. I'll always be grateful for you, my sister. You've helped to teach me right from wrong and kept my head on my shoulders. Believe me, there were times I know I was a stupid young cub who probably didn't deserve rescuing. Nala, you're my best friend and sister. I'll never forget you," Mheetu reveals to Nala, remembering all the times she has saved him from either Scar or the hyenas.

He wouldn't be alive if it weren't for Nala, Sarafina, and Sarabi. They've helped to feed and look after him since the day he was born. Mheetu wouldn't trade them or his friends for the world.

"I'll never forget you. Promise you'll come back one day," Nala softly tells him, looking into his blue eyes that mirror her own.

"I promise. One day when Chumvi, Tojo, and I are bigger and stronger, we'll come back. If the Pride Lands aren't better by then, we'll take the kingdom, by force if necessary. As sure as the stars shine, I will always return home and be in your thoughts," Mheetu promises, his voice cracking a bit at this last sentence.

"Mheetu," Sarafina calls from a short distance away.

Mheetu carefully breaks out of Nala's embrace to walk over to their mother.

"Mom," Mheetu cries, burying his face in her fur, not wanting to leave.

"You must be strong, my son. Life has changed for all of us. Take good care of yourself and the others. I love you, Mheetu, and I'll miss you with all my heart and soul. You'll always be my baby," Sarafina says, tears in her own eyes, regardless of her internal vow to stay strong for Mheetu and Nala.

"I'll miss you, Mom. Make sure to keep me in your thoughts and look to the horizon. One day I'll return to the Pride Lands; I assure you," Mheetu relays to his mother with a forced smile.

"Goodbye, my son. Don't forget us," Sarafina quietly commands her son before nuzzling his head in a loving way.

"Mheetu, we have to go," Chumvi calls as he walks up to the grieving family.

"I'm coming," Mheetu responds before giving Nala and Sarafina one last goodbye.

The young white lion goes and stands by Tojo, Tama, and Kula, all of whom are leaving the Pride Lands as well. Over the year that has passed, Tojo and Kula have fallen in love, as have Malka and Tama. Chumvi still has not found anyone to share his love with, but at least he has his sister, Kula, and their friends. Malka walks up from outside the Pride Lands' boundary, a grim smile on his face. He knows just as well as the others what event is bringing them together again.

"Hey, you guys. Are you guys ready to go? My pride awaits," Malka softly speaks up, not wanting to alert Scar or his watchful hyenas of their whereabouts.

As Prince of the Mountain Pride, Malka made the executive decision to allow his friends to come live with his pride. He couldn't let the cubs he grew up with and considered family find their own territory in a remote part of the vast savannah. Instead, Malka found a place for all five of them in his pride, something all the cubs' mothers are thankful for, as are Nala and Sarabi. The cubs, or now young adults, have grown up together and formed such deep bonds that it would kill every one of them to not know where their friends were.

"We're ready," Tama and Kula speak up, sharing one last head butt with Nala as a form of departure.

"Lead the way, Malka," Chumvi says, his own voice not even showing a hint of its usual liveliness or carefree spirit.

The party of six starts to disappear over the small rise before Nala calls out to one member in particular.

"Malka!" Nala yells, wanting to get the pale orange-colored male to come back for a last talk.

Within seconds, the young male lion is back at Nala's side, alarm on his face. He didn't want Nala to start having second thoughts about Mheetu leaving. If he didn't, Scar would surely kill Mheetu and maybe even Nala for disobeying his law that all male lions who weren't related to him had to leave the Pride Lands forever.

"What's wrong, Nala?" Malka asks in concern, knowing Nala like a sister.

Out of the male cubs, Malka prides himself in being the one closest to Nala, not including Mheetu, of course. It was hard for Nala after Simba's death, and Malka was glad he could make Nala smile again. As an only cub, Malka felt happy at having the chance to develop a brother-sister bond with Nala.

"Take good care of Mheetu for me," Nala whispers to her friend, a worried expression on her face.

Mheetu had never been alone before, and she didn't want that to happen to her brother now. She couldn't be with him, but she could at least appoint someone to her position of Mheetu's protector.

"I swear I will, Nala. Take good care of yourself and the other lionesses. I'll make sure these guys stay alive and happy," Malka makes known to Nala before nuzzling his head against hers.

As Malka and the others make their way across the ridge, a lone tear escapes Nala's eye.

"Goodbye, Mheetu," she whispers before walking back towards Pride Rock, grief and loss gnawing at her heart.

 **Author's Note: And there it is! My first story ever to include Mheetu and the other deleted Lion King characters! I just found out about these characters' existence a month ago and was surprised to find out I had never heard of them before. (I've watched Lion King and the two sequels probably about 1000 times each.) Anyway, I got inspiration from** _Wordplay42_ 's **story** _The Lion King: Five Forever._ **Check out the story if you haven't, it's** _really_ **good! Oh, , yeah, and the cover image for this story was done by me. Isn't little Mheetu so adorable? :)**

 _Anyway, if you liked this story, then you might want to check out my Lion King/Ice Age crossovers which can be found on my page. Yeah, I'm thinking of adding some of the "Friendly Five," as they are called, and Mheetu into the plot soon. Check it out and leave reviews if you want to; I'd really appreciate it. Hope everyone enjoyed this story, and reviews are very much appreciated! :)_


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